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  Location: Queens

  Posted for: March 29, 2023, 9:39 am

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Sex Trafficking Arrest

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Cleveland Sterling was arraigned on charges of sex trafficking, robbery and other crimes for allegedly forcing two victims to engage in prostitution and assaulting and robbing them. District Attorney Katz said: “Traffickers use violence, intimidation and claims of financial debt to force victims into sex work. We are determined to prosecute these predators and get victims the resources they need to get their lives back.” Sterling, 34, of Arcadia Avenue in Uniondale, was arraigned on a 21-count indictment charging him with sex trafficking, promoting prostitution in the second and third degrees, robbery in the second and third degrees, grand larceny in the fourth degree, assault in the third degree, petit larceny and criminal mischief in the fourth degree. Justice Peter Vallone, Jr. ordered Sterling to return to court March 31. If convicted, he faces up to 50 years in prison. According to the charges: Sterling met the first victim, a 19-year-old woman, in 2016 and on multiple occasions through November 2022 forced her to engage in sex for money at various locations around Queens. Sterling took photographs of the victim and used them to create online ads for sex. He communicated with customers, arranged prostitution dates and collected and required the victim to turn over to him all payments for the sexual encounters. Sterling struck the victim if she withheld cash from him. On an occasion when the victim told Sterling she did not want to have sex with customers for money, he punched her in the face and body—bruising her face and breaking some of her teeth. On April 9, 2022, at the Van Wyck Hotel on Liberty Avenue, while defendant was forcing her to engage in acts of prostitution Sterling pushed the victim down the stairs, causing injury to her ankle and breaking her cellphone. During another incident, on November 25, 2022, Sterlin